The invention pertains to playground swings, and particularly relates to the swing crossbar construction.
Playground swings basically consist of a crossbar supported upon leg columns wherein the swings depend from the crossbar. Conventionally, the crossbar consists of a tube or conduit, usually pipe, and a variety of fittings are available whereby the legs and swing hangers or pendents are attached to the crossbar. These fittings are often of the stamped type utilizing semicylindrical clamping surfaces or split rings adapted to engage the pipe exterior surface and are closed by bolts wherein the crossbar is grasped by the leg or swing hanger fitting.
The fittings for the leg columns usually include sockets which are bolted to the tubular crossbar and the fittings for the swing hangers are usually of the semicircular type including a yoke or bracket to which the swing hanger may be pivotally mounted.
Conventional playground swing fittings have the disadvantage of requiring expensive tooling, resulting in relatively high cost, and the known modes of assembly to the crossbar require a degree of expertise on the part of the installer. Further, conventional swing fittings are unattractive and, as they use threads and bolts to maintain the fittings in a clamped condition, it is not ususual for the bolts to become loosened over a period of time due to vibration, creating a dangerous condition wherein a leg column, or swing fitting, may inadvertently become disassembled permitting collapse of the apparatus.